Baldwin drama club students attend smash Broadway musical “Six” in Grand Rapids
Trip part of district’s commitment to the fine arts as part of a well-rounded education
BALDWIN, Mich. — The Baldwin Junior/Senior High School Drama Club heard “firsthand” accounts of the plights of King Henry VIII’s many wives last week. The group didn’t have to turn back time, or even travel to England for that matter.
They heard the wives’ stories in the smash Broadway musical “Six” at DeVos Performance Hall on Friday in Grand Rapids. “For many of our students, this was their first time attending a live professional drama production and seeing the Broadway actors in the large theater was a memorable experience for all of us,” said Peter Graham, drama club advisor. “I’m proud of our drama club students who put on their own shows last spring and fall, and I look forward to more great performances from them.”
Last spring, the Baldwin drama students performed “How to Eat Like a Child — and Other Lessons in Not Being a Grown-Up,” and this past fall, they put on "Almost History: that whole space-time continuum thing." Tryouts are scheduled this month for "The Audition," which will be performed in April.
On Friday, they swapped their positions on stage for a seat in the audience for “Six,” a musical about the six wives of King Henry VIII. The award-winning musical provides a message of girl power and a historical lesson through modern music. In the award-winning musical, the six Queens perform at a pop concert, telling the audience that the position of the band's lead singer will go to whoever they determined had the worst experience at the hands of their common husband, Henry VIII. The wives later decide to sing together as a group rather than as solo artists to write happy endings to the otherwise challenging marriages to the king.
The students enjoyed going out to dinner in Grand Rapids before the show. It was the first trip to Grand Rapids for some of the students.
“It was great to see our students try something new and have a fun evening taking in a Broadway production in Grand Rapids,” said Jr./Sr. High School Principal, Stewart Nasson. “We hope this experience inspires our students as they produce their own shows. ‘Six’ provided a wonderful opportunity for our drama students to see how academic subjects like history can inform and be used to create art. It is an example of our commitment to the fine arts as part of a well-rounded education that prepares students for success.”